USCIS Prepares to Decrease Staff by 70% (13 Thousand Workers)

[aperson 44]

4 minutes ago, Thenaturalstate said:

Hi, We just completed all the necessary paperwork and send it to USCIS.It was received by the chicago field office today. Yet to receive a NOA. 

I see. Now is just a matter of waiting. I received my NOA within a week back in Feb. a given the current situation, filing sooner is better than later and who know what will happen to the processing time but we are all in this together.

[Thenaturalstate 9]

5 minutes ago, aperson said:

I see. Now is just a matter of waiting. I received my NOA within a week back in Feb. a given the current situation, filing sooner is better than later and who know what will happen to the processing time but we are all in this together.

Thank you! This community is awesome! 

[BWJ 43]

Has anyone seen this latest article from yesterday evening?

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/hamedaleaziz/immigration-system-budget-cuts

 

Quote

 

“Backlogs will grow longer. People will wait longer to become citizens, get green cards. Asylum will grind to a halt,” said Amanda Baran, a former immigration policy official at the Department of Homeland Security who is now a consultant. The number of furloughed employees, she said, would lead to “devastating consequences for people trying to enter and for those living here.”

 

"It essentially will shut down the immigration system — sort of the final nail in the coffin,” said Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association and a former agency official. “The anticipated agency furloughs will not only result in the loss of employment for thousands of US workers, it will also bring halt the US immigration system to a grinding halt, negatively impacting families, US businesses, educational institutions, medical facilities, and churches throughout the United States.”

...He also acknowledged the impact of the furlough cut: “In terms of anyone applying for a green card, for adjustment of status, or applying for naturalization, the wait times are going to increase substantially to be adjudicated. For non-immigrant visas, any sort of requests for employment authorization, any requests … to change or extend a visitor status of some sort — all of those, the wait times are going to increase.”

 

 

Such a giant cluster...

 

[IBE2CA 34]

This is all politic BS. It will change once each parties agendas are accomplished or defeated.  We as Americans are just pawns in the big chess match. Sacrifice a few lives, jobs, loved ones, economics, ect,ect,ect…. all for NOV 3rd.  Don't think so, one is naively blinded. 

[IBE2CA 34]

1 hour ago, Thenaturalstate said:

My marriage based AOS package was received by the Chicago Field Office today. What does this mean for my process? Will it be in limbo? Will they prioritize family based cases? I am little nervous to be honest. 

My AOS package was received in Nov 2019.  In early March the website said they will be scheduling an interview.  Well here we sit waiting and its July 1st.  Some December filers got thru just in time and others did not.  Just hope and pray we are near the top of someone's pile in the 30% remaining agents still processing files.

My wife and I are thankful that we are here in the USA, Married and together. Others are not so fortunate.  This will change in November. No mater who is the President.

[Carpe Vinum 2,327]

53 minutes ago, IBE2CA said:

My AOS package was received in Nov 2019.  In early March the website said they will be scheduling an interview.  Well here we sit waiting and its July 1st.  Some December filers got thru just in time and others did not.  Just hope and pray we are near the top of someone's pile in the 30% remaining agents still processing files.

My wife and I are thankful that we are here in the USA, Married and together. Others are not so fortunate.  This will change in November. No mater who is the President.

But probably not in the same direction depending on who wins. Remember to vote.

Edited July 1, 2020 by boris64

[B, J 13]

On 6/30/2020 at 1:05 PM, lesly87 said:

The furloughs have already begun.

No, they haven't. The article you linked to says, "USCIS employees will receive notice that if USCIS must proceed with an administrative furlough, they would be furloughed beginning Aug. 3"

 

It's not August 3rd yet, so there is still time for emergency funding to pass.

[eirinlinn 105]

18 hours ago, Gii said:

This is all so disappointing. I really hope that the furlough doesn't happen, for the sake of the employees and for our applications. How heartbreaking. 

By all means let's not take this lying down. There's a petition here >>>>> https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-to-halt-uscis-furloughs that we can send to our congress people to open the conversation again. 

[OrihimeandIchigo 216]

So if they don't get the funding and they stay at 70 decrease in workers. What would be the estimate timeline for someone getting their green card once they arrive in USA after getting their visa? What is the usual timeline to receiving your green card in the mail? And how much do yall think it will likely increase in waiting times with this now?   

[OrihimeandIchigo 216]

9 hours ago, eirinlinn said:

By all means let's not take this lying down. There's a petition here >>>>> https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-congress-to-halt-uscis-furloughs that we can send to our congress people to open the conversation again. 

How does this website work? Can someone explain it to me? Once I know more I can share and ask my relatives and friends to help. 

[eirinlinn 105]

2 hours ago, OrihimeandIchigo said:

How does this website work? Can someone explain it to me? Once I know more I can share and ask my relatives and friends to help. 

Fill the things in on the right hand side and it will give you the steps  

[eirinlinn 105]

13 hours ago, OrihimeandIchigo said:

So if they don't get the funding and they stay at 70 decrease in workers. What would be the estimate timeline for someone getting their green card once they arrive in USA after getting their visa? What is the usual timeline to receiving your green card in the mail? And how much do yall think it will likely increase in waiting times with this now?   

It would affect them detrimentally so, which is why a lot of us are feeling very powerless right now! Even with a full staff there are long wait times... without the staff, who knows how long it's going to take to do anything? This hasn't ever happened in the past that I know of, so a lot of people are very very scared. 

[Blkbam 39]

16 hours ago, OrihimeandIchigo said:

How does this website work? Can someone explain it to me? Once I know more I can share and ask my relatives and friends to help. 

After filling in your info it will send the representatives an email. Depending on how tech savvy your reps are you will receive an email (basically a standard auto reply template) stating they will read your email. In a few days you may receive an email (another template) that they read your email and what they have done about the topic you selected. Typically bills they endorse or have proposed.

 

Whether it's effective or not is yet to be seen but it's worth a shot. A flood of emails doesn't have the same effect as a sudden flood of paper mail. An mailbox full of emails doesn't carry the same weight as a physical mailbox of letter. Too easy to select all and mark as read or delete thanks to spam and other junk mail. Thanks newsletter subscriptions.

Edited July 3, 2020 by Blkbam

[dabhakta 0]

This has me very stressed as well. I sent my form for ROC for my wife's green card to the Dallas PO Box because we reside in Texas. The mail was delivered on June 11th, but I have yet to receive a NOA. Not sure how long I should be patient, if things are moving at a semi-regular pace or slowing down.

[Wouter 143]

I think this is a very serious issue. This is not about raising fees or USCIS shutting down for a month or two. Until USCIS gets the funds it needs it will basically be shut down. 

In 30 days 70% of USCIS staff is going to stop working. In my opinion this will mean that pretty much all current applications will come to a standstill. The remaining 30% employees will just be there to keep the most urgent things going and the rest will just stop. I have an N-400 naturalization and an I-130 for my wife at USCIS and if they don't get the funding they need from Congress this month (July 2020) I expect both of these to take forever to get approved. So it is crucial that Congress approves the emergency funding for USCIS, or we can all forget about existing petitions ever getting approved because a 70% reduction in workforce is basically a shutdown. And there is something that can be done: every petitioner who lives in the US should write their Representative and their Senators. Every Congress(wo)man and every Senator has a website with the option to contact them by email  or online form and I would encourage everyone to write an urgent message that USCIS should receive the funding it needs to keep the whole system from grinding to a halt, not to mention more than 13,000 USCIS employees becoming furloughed/unemployed.